Microsoft Corp named company veteran Satya Nadella as its next Chief Executive Officer on Feb 4, ending speculation as to who would succeed Steve Ballmer as the CEO of the US tech giant after he announced his desire to retire in August. SEATTLE, W.A. - A longtime Microsoft executive who leads the company’s cloud computing, Nadella was widely expected to head the company after emerging as a popular choice with his deeper...

engineering background. He is a “popular choice partly because of his oversight of the enterprise software and cloud computing businesses at Microsoft, one of the strongest and fastest growing parts of the company,” the New York Times had said of Nadella in a report. Kevin Turner, a top sales executive of the company, and Tony Bates, who joined Microsoft through its acquisition of Skype were also reported to have been interviewed by the tech giant as possible successors of Steve Ballmer. However, it was the India-born Nadella who emerged victorious due to his deeper engineering background.Nadella is only the third CEO in Microsoft‘s 39-year history, following co-founder Bill Gates and Ballmer. Microsoft also announced that John Thompson, lead independent director, will succeed Gates as Chairman. Gates will assume a new role as “technology advisor,” the company said in a statement.During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” said Bill Gates in a statement. “Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together. His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world in exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its newct chapter of expanded product innovation and growth.” Gates will support Nadella “in shaping technology and product direction.” Microsoft said. In his first interview as CEO, 46-year-old Nadella said the way he thought had been shaped by his life’s experience, and that he “loves to learn”. “I get excited about new things, I buy more books than I read or finish, I sign up for more online courses than I can actually finish, but the thing about being able to watch people do great things, learn new concepts is something that truly excites me.” When asked why he wanted to become CEO of Microsoft, he said the company was central to applying human potential to a world becoming more rapidly software-driven. He said he felt “honoured, humbled and excited” to be CEO. “We have tremendous opportunity, and that’s inspiring. “I want every one of us to find more meaning at work. We spend far too much time at work for it not to have deep meaning.” Nadella grew up in Hyderabad and his appointment as CEO makes him the most powerful Indian-born tech executive in the world. He received a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and communication from the Manipal University in 1988. Following his move to the United States, he went on to study Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and received a MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Nadella began his extensive career in tech at internet software pioneer Sun Microsystems, before joining Microsoft in 1992, where he has remained for 22 years. He has been married to his wife for 22 years, whom he met in high school, and has three children with.